Money bought dog, Lucy Lou, mayor position in Kentucky

Lucy Lou is a red and white border collie, in addition to being mayor of Rabbit Hash. Image: Flickr / maruricekoop / CC-BY-ND

Politics is often called a dog-eat-dog enterprise. A dog, Lucy Lou, is mayor in an unincorporated hamlet of Kentucky. The election was between 15 animals and one human, and there was more than 200 percent voter turnout.

Border Collie dog, Lucy Lou, as mayor

Lucy Lou has been mayor of Rabbit Hash, Ky., since 2008. The red and white border collie has done more than her fair share in bringing attention and notoriety to the small, unincorporated town. Her responsibilities include greeting town visitors and being the “face” of Rabbit Hash. Lucy Lou is also the face of Elk Creek Vineyards, one of the seven buildings in the town.

Buying votes to make Lucy Lou the mayor

Lucy Lou, mayor of Rabbit Hash, did not come to her position without some controversy. The election where she was elected had many irregularities that the Federal Elections Commission would look down on. Votes were sold at the rate of $1 per vote, and voter turnout was more than 200 percent. There were 16 candidates in the 2008 election for mayor of Rabbit Hash, including several cats and other dogs. The money from the mayoral election was spent on restoring the local church. While Rabbit Hash is an unincorporated area that does not have a budget, a city council or a government, its citizens often band together to pay for projects in the area.

Lucy Lou breaks mayoral glass ceiling

Though Rabbit Hash, Ky., has had mayoral elections since 1998, there have only been three elected mayors. All three mayors have been canine, despite cats, gerbils and even donkeys running for the position. In 2008, when Lucy Lou was elected mayor, she was the first female mayor of the town. Lucy Lou was also highlighted by “Readers Digest” in its profile of the city. Lucy Lou’s biggest responsibility as dog mayor of Rabbit Hash, however, is public appearances — most often at the animal shelter.